“Backed by Britain’s rising Defence budget, the Type 26 Programme will deliver a new generation of cutting-edge warships for our Royal Navy. Along with sustaining highly skilled jobs across the country, these latest contracts demonstrate continued momentum in the programme ahead of cutting steel next summer.”

“The progress of our partners in the supply chain is a crucial aspect of making sure we are ready to cut steel on our first of class next summer. Agreeing these contracts now will ensure our suppliers are on track to deliver equipment to Glasgow at the point it is required in the manufacturing phase.”

Nick Antoniades, Rolls-Royce, Programme Executive Type 26 said:

“Following on from our success in winning the contracts to supply MT30 Gas Turbines and MTU diesel generators to the Type 26 programme we are delighted to be selected to provide steering gear and stabilisers.

This continues a long Rolls-Royce tradition of providing critical equipment to the Royal Navy and we look forward to helping BAE Systems and the Royal Navy build these world-class anti-submarine warfare vessels on the Clyde.

The timely contract award has set the wheels in motion for the manufacturing phase of the programme, enabling Rolls-Royce to procure long lead items to support BAE Systems’ Type 26 ship build schedule.”

The press release also states that 33 companies are working with BAE Systems to deliver the Type 26 ships.

We need more than that. We need a new strategic defence review that actually makes common sense. We can justify a new SDSR because of the Brexit vote and the material change in circumstances. For gods sake lets stop all the nonsense that was brought about by the David Cameron era Lets get on and build more than 8 of the type 26 frigates- we need at least 12 of these fine ships asap- do not spread the order out to a delivery every 24 months but one every 12 months- so 12 years work for the Clyde workforce- that is pretty good job security in the modern construction age.

Concurrently we need to build throughout the UK the new type 31 frigate and we need these vessels to be brought into service in some numbers (8 to 10 vessels should be a minimum) as an urgent operational requirement- our current frigate and destroyer force is ridiculously too small- currently only 17 vessels in active service giving perhaps 5-6 available warships for deployments- in the past such a situation would have led to the fall of government. Replace HMS ocean and stop the crazy concept of fitting out a £3billion strike carrier (HMS Prince of Wales) for amphibious strike role- strategically and tactically more sensible to have a smaller less expensive LPHD in this role- costing perhaps £500 million instead of £3 billion. The Royal navy needs to retain 3-4 of the Trafalgar class SSN’s until an Astute batch 2 order can be worked up- the Trafalgar class is still as capable if not more so than any Russian competitive submarine. In short lets go to a 3-4% GDP to defence budget ratio and rebuild the Royal Navy from the disastrous cuts of repeated short-sighted governments and gross incompetency in defence procurement contracts going back the last 20+ years.

We definitely need to enlarge the Royal Navy, (stop foreign aid – £12 billion of our peoples’ money given to foreign countries every year). The enlargement of the Navy would be a shot in the arm for our shipyards and steel works.

If foreign aid was stopped, the money saved would most likely not go to the MOD and even if it did, it would be swallowed up by British And Expensive (BAE). A billion quid for each of these ships? Ridiculous.

Considering the Brexit deficit is going to cost around £50M a year to the defence budget, investment is likely to go down, not up.

The only impact Brexit will have is weakening defence spending and fracturing European defence cooperation. Had Brexit not occurred, the UK was projected to overtake Germany GDP wise in 2030. We would have been able to build a far more powerful Navy, had Brexit not occurred. As is we’ve made Putin a very happy chap

I agree that a 3% GDP military budget is now required, but this in itself is not enough – I have reviewed the MOD budgets and spends and like the NAO came to the conclusion that there is massive wastage and frankly some of the figures just do not add up. So throwing more money at this is not the answer.

There is also a lack of clear thinking and a strategy that has seen the estate fall into disrepair even though we supposedly spend £4.8bn on it every year (!?!?). The equipment budget is predominantly made up of support contracts due to cost cutting of headcount and is therefore pretty disingenuous to state it is helping to build our capability.

The UK does need a bigger military budget but it also needs to be clear on what it will spend that budget on

Personnel and Facilities The welfare of families is pretty shoddy in the army and I would like to see the MOD bring living standard up to a standard that is better than civvy street, this could be a key pillar of retention.

I am in favour of creating a single force structure now and keeping a similar force size to that of the USMC.

This is not going to happen, but should as the extra spend if funnelled into post brexit UK will be a massive stimulus to some of the poorest parts of the country (as that is generally where our forces and the factories are based).

Thanks for your comments Paceman. Interesting concepts, we cannot turn back time but we need to avoid huge wastage of the defence budget. we can no longer afford over £10 billion for air to air refuelling aircraft (Voyager programme) when the aircraft supplied will not be able to even refuel the coming Poseidon A’s on order. Lack of joined up thinking. How many frigates or destroyers and crew could £10 billion provide? Quite a few. At least the national shipbuilding strategy highlighted the need for a much more efficient future. All of the 3 armed forces cry out for more money but I think the RAF currently gets a good settlement. Any hoped for future defence expenditure increase needs to go to the navy first to provide vital return of capabilities lost. A realistic future navy by 2030 would be composed of: 2 QE class 1-2 LHPD (HMS Ocean replacement) Both LPDs in service 6 type 45 destroyers with anti ship and cruise missiles fitted 8 type 26 (built with only 12 month spread between hulls) further option for 4 vessels potentially 8-10 type 31 3-4 retained Trafalgar class for patrols in lower threat areas eg falklands/ off Africa or alternatively 4 AiP submarines from Germany or Sweden or France built under license in UK 5 River class batch 2 HMS Clyde retained for Caribbean patrol duties. 3 other River class batch 1 vessels to Border force. 7 Astute class 4 Dreadnought class SSBN 4 Astute batch 2 on order. Give the RN their fleet air arm back and let the RN operate independently of the RAF 4 squadrons 60 aircraft of the F35bs to supplier our carrier strike. Such a fleet is within our gift as a nation to supply. We just need the political will to reverse wasteful trends of recent defence procurement and a small uplift in defence budget.